PS: The third chapter of the plus update is being written, and it will be updated later.

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Slobozia is a city in southeastern Romania, the capital of Jalomica County, located on the banks of the Jalomica River.

Located more than 90 kilometers west of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, the city is an important rail and road hub.

The headquarters of the 4th Mechanized Corps of the Soviet Army was located on the southern outskirts of the city of Slobozia.

Since the start of the war on 20 May, the 4th Mechanized Corps has forcibly crossed the Danube from the eastern part of the Romanian border city of Breila and broke through the defensive line of the Romanian Fourth Army on the same day, and then routed the Romanian 1st Panzer Division that had come to support it, completely opening the road to Romanian territory.

The left flank was protected with the Black Sea coast, the right flank was protected with the 8th Mechanized Army, and the infantry of the XVIII Army of the Southern Front followed in the rear.

Lieutenant General Vlasov led the Fourth Mechanized Corps through Romania with a thunderous force, advancing more than 240 kilometers in four days, from the Soviet Union's Romanian border to the Romanian-Bulgarian border.

While Bulgaria was in turmoil and preparing for a war to defend its homeland, Vlasov commanded his troops, made a dashing right turn, directed the spearhead of the attack to the west, rushed to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, and occupied the important transportation town of Slobozia on the afternoon of 25 May.

Bucharest was due west, about ninety kilometers in a straight line, and another onslaught would have taken the city in two to three days at most, taking the first victory in the battle of Romania, but Lieutenant General Vlasov had to restrain the offensive of the Fourth Mechanized Corps.

The reasons come from both internal and external sources.

Externally, about twenty-five kilometres to the west, the scouts spotted a position in front of them.

The same information was sent by the Air Force's reconnaissance planes.

Knowing that the defenders were Germans, Vlasov could not but sigh that the Germans were moving much faster than he had imagined.

The internal reason for Vlasov to stop the troops was his own attrition, and the Fourth Mechanized Army was advancing all the way, which seemed to be extremely popular, but it was also his own pain.

Vlasov led the army headquarters to march behind the large army, and the sights along the way were shocking.

Both sides of the road were littered with dead and dying human and animal corpses. There are also weapons and equipment abandoned by the Romanian army, and the most are the long queues of Romanian refugees.

The Romanian refugees looked at them with the fear of death, but behind the fear was more anger.

Command the gendarmerie of the military headquarters. After brutally dealing with several morally corrupt acts such as looting property and harassing Romanian women, and shooting more than a dozen villains who corrupted the Red Army's military discipline, Vlasov felt less guilty as an aggressor when he looked at the eyes of the refugees.

Vlasov greeted the political work department in the army and demanded that they punish violations of law and discipline. The political department agreed, and at the same time comforted Vlasov.

"If we don't attack first, everything you see will happen on our soil."

Comforted by the political department, the last trace of guilt in Vlasov's heart completely disappeared, and he turned to focus on the military.

Fighting all the way, the combination of KV-1 and T-34 tanks performed comfortably, and the Romanian army was completely vulnerable to these powerful tanks.

Along the march, the KV-1 tank and T-34 tanks had a heartbreaking failure rate, and along the way there were intact tanks parked on the side of the road. The crew was helpless around the broken tank and had to wait for the repairman to deal with it.

Taking the subordinate Eighth Tank Division as an example, the heavy armored battalions of the two tank regiments, 62 KV-1 tanks, 4 were damaged in battle, and 48 were damaged, and only 10 followed the 8th Tank Division to the Slobozia line.

The T-34 performed a little better, with a failure rate of about forty percent.

In addition to the heartbreaking failure rate, Vlasov also has two major problems in front of him, one is the logistics. The other is the 122 and 152 howitzers of the army-affiliated artillery, these big guys could not keep up with the marching speed of the tank units.

The towing of these heavy fires was carried out by the STZ-3 tractor, which was more like a tractor than a truck, and had a maximum speed of only a pitiful eight kilometers per hour, which was completely unable to keep up with the marching speed of the tank troops.

Under the attack of internal and external factors. Vlasov decided to stop the troops for rectification first, wait for heavy firepower, wait for supplies, and wait for the follow-up of the infantry divisions of the XVIII Army behind.

Staring at Bucharest, which was close at hand on the map, Vlasov thought confidently.

Give me two days to reorganize my troops, and then rush into Bucharest in one go. The Eighth Mechanized Army on the right flank must not be allowed to get ahead of the game.

Vlasov immediately reported his thoughts to the command of the XVIII Army, and in less than an hour he received a reliable reply.

"The Fourth Mechanized Corps is allowed to rest on the spot until 27 May, and at 2 p.m. on 27 May, your unit must launch an offensive against the Germans in front of you, put pressure on the enemy, and plan for the offensive of the 8th Mechanized Corps on the right flank on Bucharest."

"May 27th? Isn't it tomorrow? Vlasov asked in surprise.

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Said the communications staff officer.

"The fighting will of our dear Comrade Ryabishev is really tenacious and worthy of our learning."

Vlasov wanted to say that the commander of the 8th Mechanized Army, Ryabishev, in order to show off and in exchange for his military merits, did not give the troops time to repair, which was really mad.

The Eighth Mechanized Corps, as his right flank, attacked Romania at the same time as him, broke through the defenses of the Romanian Fourth Army, and then rushed side by side to the vicinity of Bucharest.

Vlasov did not believe in any way that the full strength of the technical equipment of the 8th Mechanized Army would be better than that of his own troops.

Just thinking of the ubiquitous eyes and ears of political workers, if they heard their own ridicule of Ryabishev, they would probably be sent to a military court in the name of "cowardice", and then dragged to the execution ground to shoot targets.

Thinking about the purge that terrified the Red Army, Vlasov shuddered.

The purge affected 5 million people, 300,000 to 400,000 people were executed, and the army was the hardest hit area.

A total of 35,000 military officers were suppressed during the purge, including 80 percent of senior officers.

Three of the five marshals were put to death; 15 of the commanders of the army group were also killed; 57 out of 85 commanders were executed; Of the 159 division commanders, 110 were executed.

Vlasov pushed the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, secretly thinking that for the sake of his life, it would be better for strange words to rot in his stomach.

Vlasov regrouped his troops. While preparing for tomorrow's feint, in the Romanian city of Buzeu, the commander of the 8th Mechanized Corps, Ryabesev, was also reorganizing his troops in preparation for tomorrow's attack.

The city of Buzeu is on the left bank of the Buzeu River. Bordered by the Carpathians to the northwest, Bucharest to the southwest and about 70 kilometers to the west of the Ploiesti oil fields, it is an important transportation and railway hub in southeastern Romania.

Following the rout of the Romanian Fourth Army, Ryabishev commanded the Eighth Mechanized Corps. Take this transportation powerhouse in one sprint and get tickets to the Ploiesti oil fields and Bucharest.

Like Vlasov, Ryabishev also encountered difficulties such as tank failures, artillery units falling behind, and insufficient supplies.

Fortunately, the 8th Mechanized Corps had a shorter route than the 4th Mechanized Corps, with only more than 170 kilometres from the river crossing to Buzeu, and the roads were in satisfactory condition.

Of the more than 1,000 tanks in the whole army, more than 700 can be used.

However, Ryabesev is not like Vlasov thinks, for the show. Or regardless of the fatigue of his subordinates.

What really made him decide to go on the offensive was simple, it was the Romanian army that was deployed on the opposite side.

To be more precise, the road to the Ploiesti oil field was manned by the German team, and the road to Bucharest was manned by the Romanians.

The planes were fleeting, and if it dragged on too long, and new German reinforcements arrived to replace the Romanians, the best opportunity to capture Bucharest would be missed.

Even if their own troops were able to defeat the Germans and take Bucharest, the consumption of time and personnel and equipment would certainly be much greater than fighting the Romanians.

Ryabishev sent his thoughts and thoughts on the enemy situation he was facing to the headquarters of the 18th Army at the same time, and he immediately received strong support from the command of the 18th Army.

One was attacked by the 8th Mechanized Corps. The battle plan for the 4th Mechanized Corps was quickly drawn up, and it was decided to launch it at 2 p.m. tomorrow

Fifty kilometers northeast of Bucharest, in the town of Urzicheni, the road from Buzeu to Bucharest splits the town in half.

East side of town. Just off the road is a small hotel called "Wayfinder".

In the lobby on the second floor of the hotel, Lieutenant General Balk, commander of the 1st Independent Panzer Army under the German Balkan Army Group, was staring at the map of the Bucharest area on the round table, listening to the chief of staff report on the deployment situation.

"To the east and southeast of us, the 7th Parachute Division, the 22nd Airborne Division and the three infantry divisions of the 12th Army are on the defensive, to the northeast. The 60th Motorized Division has blocked the road from Buzeu to the Ploiesti oil fields, the only thing we have to worry about is the road from Buzeu to Bucharest, which is defended by the Romanian 14th Infantry Division and the 7th Infantry Division, which, with their strength, will be difficult to hold back the Soviets' tanks. ”

"They will certainly not be able to stop the attack of the Soviets, and with these eight divisions, it will be too difficult to defend a 130-kilometer-long front. The two airborne divisions of the Air Force lacked heavy equipment, and the two divisions of the Romanians were vulnerable to combat effectiveness, and the strength of the 24th Panzer Division could only be relied upon to hold the Bucharest and Ploiesti oil fields before the main forces arrived. ”

Balk leaned on his cane, looked at the map for a while, and suddenly asked, "What troops will arrive tonight?" Did the army group command inform us? ”

"The troops of the Twenty-third Panzer Division will arrive tonight, but there will be only one motorized infantry regiment. When their whole division arrives in Bucharest, and then they go out of the city and rush to the battlefield, it will be at least noon the day after tomorrow. As for when the other units will arrive, the command of the army group has not yet replied to me. ”

"Hmph"

Balk let out a long, heavy breath from his nostrils.

"We should have no new reinforcements, only more than 240 tanks of the 24th Panzer Division to use as reserves. Inform the Air Force and the Twelfth Army of our current situation where our reserves are insufficient, and tell them that we must step up our reconnaissance work so that we can get first-hand information about the Soviets, otherwise neither Bucharest nor Ploiesti will be able to hold it. ”

After following the members of the military department until one o'clock in the morning, Balk went back to his bedroom to rest under the persuasion of his adjutant and staff officers.

At 6:30 a.m. the next morning, Balk walked into the command hall again.

On Balk's broad chin, his beard was cleanly shaven.

Her blonde hair was meticulously combed to her right, and her crisp military uniform was impeccable.

The lack of rest did not affect his appearance, except for the redness in his eyes.

Balk sipped his coffee hot. Hurriedly shoved two slices of bread smeared with tomato sauce into his mouth, and then asked, "What's the good news?" What's the bad news? ”

"The good news is that the vanguard of the 23rd Panzer Division has arrived, and it has been unloaded, and is now moving out of the city. The bad news is that it's just dawn today. The Soviets conducted reconnaissance on all fronts of us. The fighters of the Sixth Air Force were driving out their reconnaissance planes, and our ground forces were engaged in a dozen skirmishes with their scouts.

Moreover, our Air Force sent warnings that in the direction of Buzeu and Slobozia, the enemy's armored forces were moving frequently, and there seemed to be signs of an offensive. ”

Balk's eyes twinkled. Looks refreshed.

The chief of staff couldn't help but rub his eyes, thinking that he was delusional.

"Why do you look so happy?" The chief of staff couldn't help but ask.

"The Soviets are going to attack, and it is a good opportunity for us to gain military success, and of course I have to be happy." Balk said with a smile.

"The enemy has at least twice as many tanks as ours, if not tripled." The chief of staff reminded Balk not to be too optimistic.

"If the war is just based on the number of people, what do you want a military academy to do?" Balk said with a smile.

Without waiting for the chief of staff to speak again, Balk immediately dictated an order for the chief of staff to forward to the headquarters of the army group, and then took the adjutant and two staff officers and got up and rushed to the headquarters of the 24th Panzer Division.

Time flies. On the afternoon of May 27, it was rushing.

At about 1:40 a.m., more than 300 PE-2 and Il-2 bombers, escorted by fighters, flew over the positions of the Axis ** around Bucharest, and then divided into two routes and indiscriminately bombed the German infantry positions opposite the Fourth Mechanized Corps and the Romanian infantry positions opposite the Eighth Mechanized Corps.

Fighters of the German Sixth Air Force and fighters of the Royal Romanian Air Force took off urgently to meet the Soviet Air Force.

In the sky, nearly 200 fighter planes chased after me, fighting for life and death.

Braving the bombardment of German ground anti-aircraft artillery and the pursuit of enemy planes behind them, the bombers of the Soviet Air Force faithfully carried out their mission. Regardless of casualties and danger, they frantically attacked enemy positions with aerial bombs and machine guns.

The craters from the 250-kilogram bomb cut through the trenches, and the guns and shells followed the direction of the trenches. Bloody on the infantry crawling in the trenches.

The German anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm, 37 mm and 40 mm also frantically returned the favor.

Under the blue sky filled with gunsmoke, the fighters of the two sides were entangled, and it was impossible to distinguish the iron cross and the red five stars on the fuselage.

From time to time, fighter planes dragged black smoke to the ground, or were hit and exploded in the air, black smoke, flames and white parachute flowers intertwined, dazzling to watch.

Soviet artillery soon joined the wargroup. Rain shells on enemy positions as much as you like.

In the sonata of steel and flame, twenty minutes flashed by. At two o'clock sharp, west of Slobozia, Vlasov launched an attack on the German positions on the opposite side as planned, sending two armored regiments, twenty-four KV-1 tanks and hundreds of T-34 tanks, along the road to charge the German positions in Chokina and Lech.

Behind the tanks of each regiment, an infantry battalion followed.

Vlasov knew that his troops were making a feint, but nevertheless seriously organized an offensive and personally rushed to the front to observe the scene of the battle.

Standing in the southwest corner of the battlefield, on a high ground he had carefully selected, Vlasov watched the Butan cluster gradually move away, and drew two big question marks in his heart.

What exactly is the difference between the combat effectiveness of the Germans and the Romanians? Can you stop the red storm of KV-1 and T-34?

The Germans did not disappoint Vlasov.

Without warning, on the ground where the Butan cluster that rushed towards the town of Chokina was located, forty or fifty gray-white gunpowder smoke suddenly burst out, instantly engulfing all the tanks and infantry.

When the smoke cleared, Vlasov saw that the tank group was still fearless and continued to charge, but the infantry that followed behind had almost lost a trace.

Seeing hundreds of humanoid objects scattered all over the field, Vlasov opened his mouth and froze for a full minute before saying, "Do you see them?" What's going on there? ”

The adjutant stammered: "Comrade commander, the Germans' shells seem to explode at the same time. ”

It's terrible to be right. The Germans turned out to have such terrible tactics. Looking at the scale of the shelling, at least an artillery regiment, almost fifty cannons fired at the same time, and the shells landed at the same time.

Under this artillery tactic. Even the most experienced veterans could not dodge.

More than 500 infantry were killed by a round of artillery fire.

Vlasov saw that among the corpses strewn across the field, only fifty or sixty people stood up again, and those survivors must have been terrified.

I don't know who took the lead first. Ignoring the tanks in front of them, they turned around and ran back.

Vlasov had not yet recovered from the shock of the German shelling, and in the western sky, a group of planes drilled out of thin clouds and pounced on the Soviet troops on the ground.

Twelve escort fighters immediately joined the ongoing air battle, and their arrival accelerated the balance of victory in favor of the Dro coalition.

Eight ME-110 fighters pressed down and swept across the battlefield laterally.

At the moment of flying over the Soviet infantry cluster, the bomb pylons on the left and right wings of the ME-110 were released, and four 50-kilogram bombs fell to the ground.

The bomb disintegrated in the air before it landed. Nearly 400 miniature bombs were spilled.

These bombs spread their wings, looked like a swarm of butterflies from a distance, and fell lightly on the Soviet troops on the ground, and then exploded in the air, and tens of thousands of shrapnel were scattered in all directions, mercilessly piercing the fragile bodies of the Soviet infantry on the ground, burrowing into their internal organs, skulls, and harvesting their lives.

Eight ME-110s, dropping thirty-two AB-23 spreaders shaped like fifty kilogram bombs.

96 SD-2 "Devil's Egg" bombs were spilled from each spreader. Full coverage of the Soviet infantry in the charge.

In the face of the demon egg that exploded in the air, he couldn't even dodge lying down, and after the explosion, he only left countless bullet holes all over his body, turning into bloody corpses and wounded.

Corpses covered the field. Blood stained the red and green land, but the dying ** of the wounded could not hide the scream of Stuka as he dived.

Stuka blew the terrible horn of Jericho and swooped down.

Fifty kg and 250 kg bombs smashed almost vertically on the head of the Soviet tank, and a T-34 was actually lifted out by a 250 kg bomb more than five meters high, the turret and chassis disintegrated in the air, and the dead body of the tanker also flew out of the cabin. Fragmented by the blast of air waves and shrapnel.

The dive bombardment of twenty-four Stuka directly killed seven tanks outside the town of Lech, and most of the other tanks were also wounded, most of them were damaged tracks or load wheels, and were incapacitated.

This is the gap, the unimaginable gap.

Vlasov looked at the bleak scene of his troops, his face turned blue.

Before he officially engaged the German troops on the position, his subordinates had lost most of their combat effectiveness.

No, if you rush down any further, you will only be wiped out, and you must retreat.

Vlasov immediately gave the order to retreat.

Soon, in front of the German positions outside the town of Chopna, the German infantry saw a strange scene.

The Soviet tank cluster in the charge was divided into two groups, one group stopped and then began to reverse, and the other group continued to charge.

The hatch of the tank in the reverse car was wide open, and the commander got out of the tank and waved a red flag to signal his tanks to stop attacking and return the same way.

The red flags were so dazzling that the German positions immediately noticed their moving demeanor.

The muzzles of the PAK40 75-mm anti-tank gun, the 88-mm anti-aircraft gun did not hesitate to lock on to those tanks with red flags flying,

The armor-piercing projectile swirled and chiseled through the tank's armor to kill the members inside, destroying more than half of the Soviet-commanded tanks outside Chopna in an instant.

Losing command, losing the cover of the infantry, the cluster charge of Soviet tanks was even more chaotic.

Either the track was blown off by an anti-tank mine hidden in the ground, or destroyed by a tank gun, or even worse, the ammunition rack was blown to pieces, or the engine was ignited and died.

Vlasov, who witnessed the "one thousand and one" death of the tank, was cold in his heart and drew a bloody question mark.

Just by encountering the infantry of the Germans, their seemingly invincible armored forces are so vulnerable, what will happen if they encounter the armored forces of the Germans?

Vlasov did not know that opposite him, there was a well-meaning commander of the German Panzer Corps, who would soon tell him what would happen to the Soviet tank cluster when it met the German tank group. (To be continued.) )